US Soldiers Accuse KBR of Exposing Them to Sodium Dichromate

[Harvey]

< sigh > This is the same toxin that was the subject of Erin Brockovich's legal battle in Hinkley, Ca. By now, I know I can't expected anything better from these war profiteering monsters, but it seems like we keep getting more and more evidence, day after day, incident after incident, report after report, of just how little they care about the lives of our troops.

Story

Witnesses link chemical to ill US soldiers
Highly toxic substance used at Iraq plant

By Farah Stockman
Globe Staff / June 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - US soldiers assigned to guard a crucial part of Iraq's oil infrastructure became ill after exposure to a highly toxic chemical at the plant, witnesses testified at a Democratic Policy Committee hearing yesterday on Capitol Hill.

"These soldiers were bleeding from the nose, spitting blood," said Danny Langford, an equipment technician from Texas brought to work at the Qarmat Ali Water treatment plant in 2003. "They were sick."

"Hundreds of American soldiers at this site were contaminated" while guarding the plant, Langford said, including members of the Indiana National Guard.

Langford is one of nine Americans who accuse KBR, the lead contractor on the Qarmat Ali project and one of the largest defense contractors in Iraq, of knowingly exposing them to sodium dichromate, an orange, sandlike chemical that is a potentially lethal carcinogen. Specialists say even short-term exposure to the chemical can cause cancer, depress an individual's immune system, attack the liver, and cause other ailments.

Yesterday's hearing - one among several organized to hold contractors accountable for alleged malfeasance in Iraq - was chaired by Senator Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat. "Hundreds of US troops, who may not even know of their exposure to sodium dichromate that could one day result in a horrible disease, cancers, and death," he said.

Roughly 250 American soldiers were believed to have come in contact with the chemical, according to Defense Department documents. Sodium dichromate is the same substance that poisoned residents in Hinkley, Calif., an incident made famous by the movie "Erin Brockovich" in 2000.

In Iraq, the chemical was used as an antirust coating for pipes that supply water to the oil fields. After the 2003 US-led invasion, looters raided the Qarmat Ali facility; afterward, the chemical was found strewn around the facility and its grounds.

Langford and his former colleagues have said KBR supervisors initially told them the chemical was a "mild irritant." The company, however, eventually acknowledged that sodium dichromate was a potentially deadly substance and moved to clean up the site.

KBR has denied any wrongdoing in the matter. The company has insisted the safety of its workers and the troops they work with are its "highest priority."
.
.
(continues)

Wouldn't be prudent to hurt the bottom line of Dickwad Cheney's retirement revenue stream. :|

 

[Zebo]

I watched a story about KBR exposing solders to IED's with their beer and lettuce and tomato runs they have to make for them all across Iraq. No MRE's for KBR employees only the best creature comforts and our troops have to play courier.

 

[jpeyton]

Don't forget the dozen or so soldiers killed by electrocution in showers, because military contractors like Halliburton abandoned their common-sense for profits at the door.

 

[Lemon law]

Kellog Brown and Root have been in the corruption business for the bulk of the past 80 years are so. They rode the LBJ horse until he dropped, but now that Halliburton acquired them, Dick Cheney is their new Fairy God Mother sprinkling pixie dust and no bid contracts all over their body.

But in terms of the quote---------KBR has denied any wrongdoing in the matter. The company has insisted the safety of its workers and the troops they work with are its "highest priority."

And Halliburton backs that with their personal guarantee and the fact that Halliburton has already moved its headquarters oversea. After all, they also know that their investment in Dick Cheney will be worthless after 1/20/2009.

And now its McSame or bust.

 

[Butterbean]

If 250 soldiers were sick I am sure the Democrats would be thrilled (they did stage the greatest betray of US soldiers in US history after all). Right now I wonder if anything will be done tbout the turd infected tomatoes from Mexico that have infected over 550.

 

[kage69]

If 250 soldiers were sick I am sure the Democrats would be thrilled (they did stage the greatest betray of US soldiers in US history after all). Right now I wonder if anything will be done tbout the turd infected tomatoes from Mexico that have infected over 550.

Wow. What a fantastic post.
Democrats staged the second Iraqi Invasion?

*sigh* Get well soon.

 

[Grunt03]

Originally posted by: Harvey
< sigh > This is the same toxin that was the subject of Erin Brockovich's legal battle in Hinkley, Ca. By now, I know I can't expected anything better from these war profiteering monsters, but it seems like we keep getting more and more evidence, day after day, incident after incident, report after report, of just how little they care about the lives of our troops.

Story

Witnesses link chemical to ill US soldiers
Highly toxic substance used at Iraq plant

By Farah Stockman
Globe Staff / June 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - US soldiers assigned to guard a crucial part of Iraq's oil infrastructure became ill after exposure to a highly toxic chemical at the plant, witnesses testified at a Democratic Policy Committee hearing yesterday on Capitol Hill.

"These soldiers were bleeding from the nose, spitting blood," said Danny Langford, an equipment technician from Texas brought to work at the Qarmat Ali Water treatment plant in 2003. "They were sick."

"Hundreds of American soldiers at this site were contaminated" while guarding the plant, Langford said, including members of the Indiana National Guard.

Langford is one of nine Americans who accuse KBR, the lead contractor on the Qarmat Ali project and one of the largest defense contractors in Iraq, of knowingly exposing them to sodium dichromate, an orange, sandlike chemical that is a potentially lethal carcinogen. Specialists say even short-term exposure to the chemical can cause cancer, depress an individual's immune system, attack the liver, and cause other ailments.

Yesterday's hearing - one among several organized to hold contractors accountable for alleged malfeasance in Iraq - was chaired by Senator Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat. "Hundreds of US troops, who may not even know of their exposure to sodium dichromate that could one day result in a horrible disease, cancers, and death," he said.

Roughly 250 American soldiers were believed to have come in contact with the chemical, according to Defense Department documents. Sodium dichromate is the same substance that poisoned residents in Hinkley, Calif., an incident made famous by the movie "Erin Brockovich" in 2000.

In Iraq, the chemical was used as an antirust coating for pipes that supply water to the oil fields. After the 2003 US-led invasion, looters raided the Qarmat Ali facility; afterward, the chemical was found strewn around the facility and its grounds.

Langford and his former colleagues have said KBR supervisors initially told them the chemical was a "mild irritant." The company, however, eventually acknowledged that sodium dichromate was a potentially deadly substance and moved to clean up the site.

KBR has denied any wrongdoing in the matter. The company has insisted the safety of its workers and the troops they work with are its "highest priority."
.
.
(continues)

Wouldn't be prudent to hurt the bottom line of Dickwad Cheney's retirement revenue stream. :|

Great post :thumbsup:
Bottom line is things like this will continue to happen because of greed!!! It doesn't matter that we have troops getting sick, goods being bought and not delivered, and numerous other things that continue concerning KBR. The military and the service member will always take a back seat......

 

[Craig234]

Not everyone is aware that this has always been the case, war profiteering. There are horror stories from the civil war about boots with big holes, meals with worms, and guns that blew up.

But you can contrast the handling of the profiteering between the Truman commission in WWII, and the Bush administration partnership with and sponsoring of and covering for the profiteers in this war. Very few prosecutions.

 

[dahunan]

not only are they stealing from soldiers and their familes.. they even steal from the Iraqi peoples on a daily basis... they stole billions and billions of dollars from taxpayers too

like LL said above.. Haliburton moved their headquarters outside of the US... yet they get no bid contracts for the US gvt and are only how they are because of all the money they stole from us citizens

 

[extra]

Originally posted by: Butterbean
If 250 soldiers were sick I am sure the Democrats would be thrilled

I think I've still got some valium left here somewhere.... Would you like some?

Anyway, the real question is, when our administration changes next year will their be any accountability? I've read the stories about the shower electrocutions, just appalling imho. For that to happen whoever did the building contracting or renovating would almost have to be intentionally cutting corners and lying about what they had done--not some accident or "forgetting" to ground things properly.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: kage69

If 250 soldiers were sick I am sure the Democrats would be thrilled (they did stage the greatest betray of US soldiers in US history after all). Right now I wonder if anything will be done tbout the turd infected tomatoes from Mexico that have infected over 550.

Wow. What a fantastic post.
Democrats staged the second Iraqi Invasion?

*sigh* Get well soon.

Concur. I'm setting up a P&N paypal account. Everybody can contribute money and we're going to send you flowers and some fruit baskets to help with the recovery.

 

[lupi]

At least the democratic controlled congress will approproate more than enough to take care of vet health care cost.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: lupi
At least the democratic controlled congress will approproate more than enough to take care of vet health care cost.

Do not hold your breath

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy

Originally posted by: lupi
At least the democratic controlled congress will approproate more than enough to take care of vet health care cost.

Do not hold your breath

Sadly, I agree. They talk big about how badly our returning troops are getting treated, but when it comes down to it, the funds just aren't available to fix the system. Yes, the money COULD be taken from other places, but hey, everyone needs a Bridge to Nowhere.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: Butterbean

If 250 soldiers were sick I am sure the Democrats would be thrilled (they did stage the greatest betray of US soldiers in US history after all).

As of 6/20/08, 4,102 American troops have died, and tens of thousands more are wounded, scarred and disabled for life in your Traitor In Chief's war of lies.

Please refresh our fading memories. Which betrayal was worse than that?

The Bushwhackos' war of lies has also been squandered trillions of dollars of American taxpayers' money that would otherwise have been available for infrastructure, real security measures, education, medical support and ... getting back to those betrayed American troops... adequate, competent medical facilities and personnel to help those troops wounded in their service to their nation.

Right now I wonder if anything will be done tbout the turd infected tomatoes from Mexico that have infected over 550.

This thread is about the turds from the Bushwhackos' war profiteering buddies at KBR/Halliburton and their callous disregard for the health and safety of American troops.

The tainted tomatoes have been traced back to Florida and/or Mexico. The Turd In Chief's brother was Governor of Florida. Maybe that's the connection. :Q

 

[ultra laser]

War is a racket. Thousands of people will die so a few can get rich. The world is a bad place and we should seek redemption from it.

 

[dahunan]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy

Originally posted by: lupi
At least the democratic controlled congress will approproate more than enough to take care of vet health care cost.

Do not hold your breath

Sadly, I agree. They talk big about how badly our returning troops are getting treated, but when it comes down to it, the funds just aren't available to fix the system. Yes, the money COULD be taken from other places, but hey, everyone needs a Bridge to Nowhere.

Too funny.. 3 people compain about dems or repubs etc.. but don't even care what KBR are doing

 

[DAPUNISHER]

The Pentagon, even though KBR Inc is currently being criminally investigated, awarded them another contract! :|:disgust:

Contract awarded to company involved in Iraq electrocutions.

This is beyond the pale. A few quotes from the article

Separately, court papers filed in Houston on Friday show KBR is preparing to plead guilty to federal bribery charges for promising and paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to officials in Nigeria in exchange for engineering and construction contracts between 1995 and 2004

"KBR has not been debarred, suspended, nor have they been proposed for debarment from government contracting," Corps spokeswoman Joan Kibler said.

The Corps of Engineers said KBR has earned $615 million on 30 similar contracts as the newest it awarded to the company and noted that KBR has not been banned or suspended from winning U.S. government contracts.

Why is this company still getting contract?!?

KBR was previously owned by Halliburton Co., the oil services conglomerate that former Vice President Dick Cheney once led. Democrats have long complained it benefited from ties to Cheney.

Give me another rational explanation for why this company hasn't been banned yet.

 

[BoomerD]

I saw this yesterday...how fucking sad. How the hell can this be? Could there be some "greasing of the palms" going on at the Pentagon? :roll:

Not like it'd be the first time one of the folks involved in contracts all of a sudden left military service for a cushy job with one of the contractors they helped secure massive bids...(Boeing is a good recent example)

 

[bamacre]

Is there anything in the $1 trillion stimulus package for veterans?

 

[ProfJohn]

You know what I find funny about your post Harvey??

During the election you guys on the left bitched and bitched and bitched about the 'associations game' and how it was wrong to associate Obama with Rev Wright, Bill Ayers etc etc.

But now it seems you have no problem at all playing the associations game when it suits your purposes.

Can you please explain to me what Dick Cheney has to do with this story?

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
You know what I find funny about your post Harvey??

During the election you guys on the left bitched and bitched and bitched about the 'associations game' and how it was wrong to associate Obama with Rev Wright, Bill Ayers etc etc.

But now it seems you have no problem at all playing the associations game when it suits your purposes.

Can you please explain to me what Dick Cheney has to do with this story?

Are you stupid or do you just play one on the intarweb?

PJ, your posts are usually a bit more intelligent than this.

How can you even ask what Dick Cheney might have to do with KBR, which was until recently, a subsidiary of Halliburton...a company in which, Dick Cheney was an officer?

While I realize you're one of the more partisan hacks on these boards, this is beyond your normal level of ignoring the truths.

 

[sciwizam]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
You know what I find funny about your post Harvey??

During the election you guys on the left bitched and bitched and bitched about the 'associations game' and how it was wrong to associate Obama with Rev Wright, Bill Ayers etc etc.

But now it seems you have no problem at all playing the associations game when it suits your purposes.

Can you please explain to me what Dick Cheney has to do with this story?

Are you stupid or do you just play one on the intarweb?

PJ, your posts are usually a bit more intelligent than this.

How can you even ask what Dick Cheney might have to do with KBR, which was until recently, a subsidiary of Halliburton...a company in which, Dick Cheney was an officer?

While I realize you're one of the more partisan hacks on these boards, this is beyond your normal level of ignoring the truths.

<dick mode>

He was, he is not now.

</dick mode>

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

You know what I find funny about your post Harvey??

During the election you guys on the left bitched and bitched and bitched about the 'associations game' and how it was wrong to associate Obama with Rev Wright, Bill Ayers etc etc.

But now it seems you have no problem at all playing the associations game when it suits your purposes.

Can you please explain to me what Dick Cheney has to do with this story?

I don't find anything about your post very funny. I don't think you're that stupid or ignorant so I'll have to assume you're trying to yank everyone's chain with more of your typical lies, distractions and diversions.

The relationship between your EX-Vice Traitor In Chief and Halliburton goes far beyond the bullshit of advocacy, which is what you and others tried to hang on Obama with your bogus references to Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers. At a minimum, Cheney still collects retirement income from Halliburton so he has a vested interest in protecting them.

Beyond that, maybe you'd like to explain how those ACTUAL friends and business associates from Halliburton got all of those inflated no bid contracts, allegedly to provide contract services in Iraq. You know... the ones that allowed them to scam us for millions and possibly billions of dollars with over billing for work they either failed to perform, at all, or performed so piss poorly that what they did was a hazard to our own troops in the field. In this case, all they did was poison American troops doing their duty.

On its own, the enormous corruption in the relationship between Halliburton and the Bushwhackos would be enough to send them to prison for decades... if it weren't overshadowed by their MORE serious crimes, including treason, murder, torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity. :thumbsdown: :|

 

[wwswimming]

if you think that's bad look up Depleted Uranium and Gulf War Syndrome.
also the PTSD rates and disability rates from the 1991 Gulf War.